Joss Whedon in final negotiations to direct The Avengers

A couple weeks ago, IESB reported that fanboy favorite Joss Whedon was being considered to direct Marvel Studios’ upcoming superhero team-up film, The Avengers. Now, Deadline has confirmed that Whedon is “in final negotiations” to step behind the cameras on the highly-anticipated movie.

Whedon only has one feature film to his credit: Serenity, the fantastic spin-off to his equally great (but short-lived) television series Firefly. Serenity is one of my favorite sci-fi film; Whedon exercised some great directorial choices for his debut film, not the least of which is the excellent long-take that introduces us to the characters (watch it here). Both the film and the series deal with an ensemble cast, so I think Whedon is more than capable of handling an Avengers movie that will feature Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, and more.

Joss Whedon has developed some successful television like Buffy and Angel, but has also had bad luck with the recently-cancelled Dollhouse. As a Whedon fan (but not quite a “Whedonite,” the affectionate nickname of his die-hard supporters), I’m excited about his involvement in Marvel’s properties. I’m especially excited considering Louis Letterier, director of The Incredible Hulk and the recently-released Clash of the Titans, was rumored to direct The Avengers, and I think Whedon’s vision would be much more pleasing to fans than Letterier’s.

The Avengers is set for a May 4th, 2012 release. What do you think about Whedon’s potential involvement?